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This is a pretty routine article about commercial, large scale breeders but I post it here because the last bit caught my eye…

In Elkhart County there are at least thirty commercial breeders that are registered with the U.S.D.A. By state law a commercial breeder is a person with at least 20 unaltered female dogs, who sells at least 500 dogs a year. Commercial breeders are required to register with Indiana State Board of Animal Health.

My math puts that at 15,000 puppy buyers that weren’t served by small scale hobby breeders. The desire is apparantly out there. Ethical, hobby breeders must be more accessible to those looking for a puppy. Networks of local, qualified breeders, visible in their communities would provide buyers not just with a new puppy, but also with education, support and a safety net should that pup ever need to be re-homed. We must take pride in our roles as the go-to source for pups. Preventative rescue…

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I wrote this article ( The Local Dog Breeder, Reinterpreted) for the most recent Australian Shepherd Journal. I’m posting it here for anyone who is interested. It essentially synopsizes my thinking about how hobby breeders can be an even more potent force at helping to keep shelter numbers down…

The following are some quotes from the article.

We have an image problem. The purebred dog and its breeders are in trouble. Animal rights activists, in their purported efforts to reduce the numbers of dogs in shelters, are pointing an accusatory finger at all purebred dog breeders. They make no distinction between mass producers, backyard operations and hobby breeders. They are waging a war for the hearts and minds of the public and gaining ground each year…

…in spite of all the energy, time, money and commitment the majority of us hobby breeders put into doing this breeding thing the right way, the public’s perception of us continues to erode. We are increasingly being painted with the same brush as puppy mills and the likes of Michael Vick. We are alternately puppy factories and dog show snobs…

…The propaganda has worked its magic on us as well as the public. We have internalized the notion that reputable breeders do not breed pets and our message to the public often reflects that. Our blame lies only in having allowed unscrupulous breeders to dominate the pet market. Imagining we are doing the right thing, we have actually stepped away from being part of the solution…

…Historically hesitant to market ourselves as professionals in the area of pet breeding, we fear being seen as “in it just for the money.” Stepping away from this responsibility is not a principled answer. This is a stretch for most of us, allergic as we are to the idea of breeding pets in any deliberate way. We cringe at the very suggestion that we focus our breeding programs on the pet market, but we must. We owe it to the dogs. They deserve to be born and raised in capable, humane hands…

…If we can harness just some of the ribbon chasing determination of thousands of highly motivated, educated, ethical breeders and redirect it towards chasing accolades for accomplishments that would benefit the pet market, we would have an inextinguishable force that redefines pet breeding and helps keep dogs out of shelters at the same time…

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Furry Babies, Inc is a pet store chain that capitalizes on our loving yet frequently confused relationships to our dogs. Furry Babies, Inc. keeps its puppies not in crates, mind you, but in baby cribs set up all over the pink, nursery themed store. You will go home with your ribbon bedecked “bundle of joy”. Last but not least, their financing plans will also actually help you build/repair your credit ( talk about one stop shopping!).

Dogs are not babies. While I’m a big believer that the job of dogs as family pet is important and valid, framing that role as nothing more than a furry, human child does only damage. This infantilization of dogs is a not only a disservice to them, it is a danger. Treating dogs like little furry babies completely disrespects the needs, proclivities, and perspectives of their own culture. We humans have a strong tendency to look at other peoples, species and cultures through our own rather limited lenses. We seem to need to assign our own attributes to those that are “other” so we can relate to, understand and sometimes even control them.

Am I human enough?

Our relationship to pet dogs is complex. We no longer view them as livestock yet, even though they are dependant on our care and companionship, they are not our children either. Our default response to them – a confusing mixture of Furbaby ( the word itself illustrates the conflict) caretaking, expectations for Lassie loyalty and Rin-Tin-Tin bravery. That the domestic dog ends up with any grasp on sanity is a testament to their remarkable adaptability and resilience.

As a child, one of my favorite movies was Francois Truffaut’S “L’enfant Sauvage” ( The Wild Child), a true story about the attempted “domestication” of a boy who had been raised (by wolves?) in the forest. I’m reminded of that child’s despair and confusion as he was “helped” to become a “civilized human” when I watch some of our domesticated dogs try to make sense of our culture with its alien social norms, rules and customs.

While we are all love our human babies (well most of the time! ), one of the big shocks of parenthood is how unlike the Hallmark card bliss and sweetness babies really are. There are days ( weeks?) that Bundle of Joy thing can be pretty elusive! This same shock and unpreparedness comes to puppy owners who have been similarly misled about the realities of puppy rearing ( put a gun to my head – I WILL not say Puppy parenting!). While there were days I thought I might need a shelter to take my kids to ( just kidding, C. and D. – I love you!), shelter relinquishment is sadly all too often the “solution” for frustrated puppy owners who had no idea what they were getting into. We do dogs no favors when we allow them to be portrayed as something they are not. This leaves their owners unequiped to provide their pets with species appropriate handling, communication and expectations. The result is, in my opinion, tantamount to cruelty.

The Furry Babies, Inc. puppies don’t know the difference between a crate and a crib. They, no doubt, find tutus and ribbons useful chew toys. Their parents likely spend their lives in high volume breeding facilities where they endure, at the other end of the spectrum, an equally damaging of lack of respect for the culture of dogs.

“The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth.” Henry Beston, naturalist & author (1888 – 1968)

Maybe we can do pets next. The end of all that responsible breeder angst! Pretty soon we won’t have to bother will all those expensive, pesky health tests. Fully customizable! When clients ask me for a certain color puppy, I will no longer have to tell them that they are currently backordered – I’ll just take one off the shelf and, Viola!, Fed-Ex. Guaranteed – truly non-shedding, non couch chewing, non barking and, best of all, no more poop scooping!

Boarding and daycare kennels will be obsolete – just power off for an extended down-stay. No more shelter problem. Just recycle!

It appears even dog rescue should be a local process – either visiting your local shelter or working directly with a local rescue group . Looks like both internet breeders AND internet rescue are best avoided.

also operates this “rescue” where $500 to $900 will let you “rescue” what appear to be older, maybe no longer useful/saleable mill dogs. “Donations” are also encouraged ( Hmmm, why did I never think of that?!!). These sites are very convincing. They “talk the talk”.

...posing as a rescue organization

I have no doubt these poor animals deserve to be rescued, but ideally not in a way that supports the very system they came from. Those of us that choose to adopt must be aware that rescue has become ” the new black” ( as I recently heard someone say). There are those that will take advantage of the good-hearted souls who offer help to homeless animals.

As with any charitable organization, it’s worth checking into credentials before getting involved with any rescue group. Careful screening and selection is as important in rescue as it is in chosing a breeder. No one wants to perpetuate, however inadvertently, the mill system of dog breeding.

We breeders can do our bit by keeping a current list of local rescue organizations on hand for clients that express interest. Potential adopters then have a better chance of connecting with groups they can develop a relationship with. All good stuff that increases the chances a rescued dog will be a good, permanent fit!

Like this:

This cartoon ( just sent to me by a friend) seems to be about the best I can do in terms of a blog post this month. The boarding kennel is hopping and the great outdoors beckon, so I may not sit down to write much until September. I’m still doing lots of thinking, reading and learning about how we as hobby breeders can work to keep pet breeding in responsible hands. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Don’t really know how laws like this will affect hobby breeders, but we need to pay attention. Especially worrisome given recent evidence that pediatric neutering may have adverse affects on hips, knees and temperaments. We need to continue to improve how we work, so decisions like this are not just thrust upon us by those who would vilify all dog breeders.